Page 35 of Starting Over at Halesmere House
‘You want me to go?’ She leaped up. Sandy had left but she could call a taxi.
‘No, sorry, that wasn’t what I meant. Please.’ Zac pointed to her seat, and she took it again. ‘Just that you’ve given up your evening when you didn’t have to.’
‘I really don’t mind.’
‘We could try the Chinese again another time?’
Alice’s impromptu invitation to stay for dinner, to let him use her shower and eat together had seemed a natural extension of the afternoon they’d already spent, the cajoling, the sensitivity he’d shown for why she’d entered the triathlon. There was no romance or fun to be found sitting in the glare of a hospital waiting room, but she wasn’t done with this adventure quite yet. Nor would she think of him leaving in a couple of months.
‘I’d like that.’
The minutes ticked away as the news on the screen looped itself around the same worrying stories in between the coughs and groans, and the hushed conversations, the occasional wail of a siren outside.
‘You could end up in any hospital and it wouldn’t matter which; they all look and feel the same. It’s like the outside world doesn’t exist apart from on that TV. Like time’s been suspended and we’ve shifted into some other universe.’ Zac’s tone was wry as he glanced at his phone.
‘Yeah. Not the nicest places to be.’ Alice wasn’t going to think of her own dash to hospital when she was losing the baby: the fright and the fear; the awful end. ‘My brother and sister-in-law have two kids, so they’ve got more experience of A&E than me.’
‘How old are they?’ Zac took another mouthful of tepid coffee and pulled a face.
‘Six and four, both utterly gorgeous.’ There was a catch in her voice as she thought of the children, hugging them, holding them close. She was a good auntie, she knew that, but she missed them. Video calls were fun, but they couldn’t make up for squishing the girls in her arms and making them laugh. At least they’d be together for a weekend soon and then for Christmas. ‘What about yours? I remember your dad saying your sister has two children.’
‘Also girls, eight and six. Total warriors and going to conquer the world.’ The edge of Zac’s mouth curled up, his gaze still fixed to the floor.
‘They sound just like mine. Freya, the youngest, lives to dance while Lottie plans to be a footballer. The scale of their ambition is immense; I’m sure I wasn’t that driven at their age. I certainly didn’t want to dance. I wanted to race cars when I was little.’
‘Have you ever driven a race car?’ He gave up on the coffee and put the cup on the floor underneath his chair.
‘Sadly not. My racing ambitions disappeared the day my dad took me out in a lorry, and I realised I wanted to drive those instead. I love it. Slower but so much fun.’
The moment of sorrow for her dad and their old business quickly fled. Alice couldn’t keep on feeling guilty for selling every time she thought of it. There had been a lot of good years and she knew the company was still flourishing. Her dad would’ve told her to move on with her life and do what she wanted. He always fought for her, until she was old enough to fight for herself.
‘What about you?’ she asked, remembering that conversation over lunch at the barn with Sandy and Neil, his dad telling her how much Zac loved his cars. ‘Ever raced a car?’
‘Yeah.’ His voice was so low Alice almost didn’t catch it.
‘One of those experience things with mates?’
‘Not exactly.’ Zac turned his head, eyes unfathomable, a trace of something wistful in his voice. ‘It was my job.’
Chapter Eleven
‘Zac! Sorry, what a bloody palaver! You didn’t go and drag Alice out as well?’ Neil was emerging through double doors, hopping awkwardly with crutches under his arms, a nurse just behind him.
‘Dad! What’s going on? What have you done?’
‘It’s my knee.’ Neil grimaced. ‘Just a sprain – the X-ray’s confirmed nothing’s broken so that’s something. Ice, elevation and painkillers for a bit, that’s all. Don’t worry. Where’s Sandy?’
‘She didn’t want to be in the way so she’s gone home. She sends her love and asked me to let her know how you are as your phone’s out of battery.’ Alice had stood too, her mind still full of Zac and what he’d said right before Neil had appeared.
‘Let’s get out of here, then.’ Zac was at Neil’s side, an arm ready to support his dad. ‘Do you need a hand?’
‘Of course I don’t; I’m fine.’ Neil gave Zac a sympathetic look. ‘Sorry, son, I know hospitals aren’t your favourite places. If it’s any consolation they’re not mine either – all that time back and forward worrying about you after the accident. And this was not how I planned to end my evening.’
‘I’m not sure that’s something you should be sharing with us.’ Zac glanced at Alice, and she smiled. It wasn’t how she’d imagined ending their own evening too, although she couldn’t quite pin down how that might actually have gone.
‘We were going to eat at the pub after our walk, that’s all.’ Neil went to poke his son’s leg with a crutch. He stumbled and Zac’s hand shot out to grab him.
‘Dad, watch it! If you fall again it might not be just a sprain this time.’
